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    Canela Cafe

    4.5 (156 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

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    CANELA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Canela Cafe

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    Scott W.

    Second time here. The place is tucked among several other businesses and restaurants. There are several patio tables out front. The front is all glass, which brings in plenty of natural light. Once inside, you are greeted at the hostess desk, and there are a couple of different seating areas. The design is fresh, modern, and clean. We got a booth and were immediately greeted by our server. We ordered our drinks (latte and hot tea) and then quickly followed up with our food: Very Berry French Toast and Avocado Toast (with poached eggs). It didn't take long for the food to arrive. Everything was the right temperature, very flavorful, well presented, and good portions. The French toast had excellent textures (coated with Cinnamon Toast Crunch), and the poached eggs were perfectly cooked. I also liked the feta cheese on the avocado. We received great service the entire time, with the small exception that I had to remind my server for more hot water. Definitely a place I would return to.

    Shakshuka
    Viv P.

    Cute place that wasn't super busy on a Sunday brunch, but still with constant stream of people coming in and out. First impressions is that the staff looked pretty gloomy overall. No one smiled or greeted us, but were pretty much matter of factly standing there, and overall not happy looking about having a big group (of 12) to set up for outside (we asked for outside, since the weather was so nice). The outside set up was ok. The tables were smallish and lightweight, and the umbrellas were bumping on each other so we couldn't keep them up without them touching each other and somehow making the table lopsided when we tried. Not a big deal, and we just ended up folding up all the umbrellas and pulling out sunglasses. Our server came and took our orders, and was quick and efficient about it, but again, no smiles or welcoming, but rather brusque and a tad annoyed like. So up to here, not too pleased, and a little miffed because I felt like we weren't really welcome. But after our server took our orders, things turned positive. Our server totally changed pace and came back often to look in on us and keep our coffee mugs filled, and to make sure we had everything. She also was right on it when we requested things like ketchup, and even though we were outside, she made sure to bring everything out very timely. I guess it just takes a while for things to warm up. Overall, I thought she did a wonderful job despite my first impressions. The food - was good. Steak Breakfast Bowl Hany and I shared cuz we had actually already had breakfast (long story). I asked for the potatoes on the side (keto), and they brought both potatoes and eggs on the side, plus an extra plate (thoughtful!!). The mix was very tasty. Hany said the potatoes were meh, and I agreed, but I think it was because it was put on the side rather than mixed in with the rest of the dish. Totally on me. I would absolutely get this dish again. And our friends shared their thoughts: Shakshuka A friend did this dish because she has egg allergies. She said it was good, but a little less spiced than she has had before, but would order again. BTW, eggs over easy were right on the money Canela Supreme Pancakes (GF) Looked delicious and tasted delicious. He said the peanut butter, honey, cinnamon sauce was scrumptious. Pancakes Personally, I thought the 4 layers of this regular pancakes simply dusted with powdered sugar looked better than the supreme version, but it could be because they were more fluffy, not being gluten free. It was apparently just as tasty, too, cuz friend ate half of it, after finishing his bowl of steak bowl! Steak & Eggs It was cooked well, but friend actually liked it more medium-rare. The server forgot to ask how he likes his steak. (Like I said, she didn't turn out to be stellar until after the orders were in for some reason) Blueberry waffle The single waffle was missing the powdered sugar and looked pretty underwhelming compared to the delicious looking pancakes, especially with the fresh blueberries forming a single layer, and kind of disappearing into the waffle holes. Definitely not camera friendly and not something I would get again for $15. Omelet Forgot to ask what kind of omelet she got, but friend's omelet looked great, fluffy and filled. The side of fruits also looked very fresh. Smoothie Friend says it had the taste! But it was watery, more like juice than a smoothie. Bummer. Overall, I'm giving the place 4 stars without considering the initial impressions because I feel that how I leave a place is important and I definitely left feeling well taken care of and like I would return. But next time, I will sit inside despite the gorgeous weather cuz I like a solid table and chairs. And I would get the steak bowl again. But I would definitely skip the waffle.

    Monte Cristo and Canela iced coffee

    My partner and I visited Canela Café around 12:30pm on a weekend and were impressed right away by how quickly we were seated. The service throughout the meal was friendly, attentive, and surprisingly fast -- definitely a strong point here. We ordered a mix of drinks and brunch favorites: a mimosa, cranberry mimosa, Canela iced coffee, the Meat Lovers breakfast bowl, and the Monte Cristo. The food overall was excellent. The Meat Lovers bowl had a great ratio of meat to veggies and carbs and was seasoned really well. The portions were generous for the price, especially the Monte Cristo -- it was huge and tasted great. A couple of small things could've been better: the cranberry mimosa leaned so heavily on champagne that it was hard to pick up much cranberry flavor, and the mimosas in general felt a little overpriced. Also, the French toast on the Monte Cristo was very thick. Still tasty, but a thinner cut would've made it easier to eat and a little less overwhelming. The Canela Iced Coffee was the perfect ratio of Irish cream to coffee. Overall, though, we really enjoyed our brunch. Good food, fast service, solid portions, and reasonable pricing compared to similar brunch spots. We'd definitely come back -- maybe just skip the cranberry mimosa next time.

    Drinks  Morning Mule Apple Crisp mimosa  Pumpkin Irish coffee  Blue Dream
    Tahje W.

    Went here for the first time and everything was above my expectations. Our server Guillermo was excellent. He was informative of the menu and had great customer service. The food was made fresh and came in a timely manner.

    Jen J.

    I recently had a wonderful brunch at Canela Cafe. The variety of breakfast and lunch options was impressive. We tried the Power Omelet and the monthly omelet, both of which were fantastic. You can even upgrade your side to one of their specialty pancake items! The staff was very friendly, and the service was excellent--we were in and out in about 45 minutes. They had a lot of seating so great place for a large party. I highly recommend this spot for breakfast or brunch.

    Mimosas! Yes please!
    Nektaria R.

    Food is typically excellent! Service depends on how busy they get. Unless you get the cheerful blonde braided girl. She's awesome! Bring your appetite! It's a lot of food. Today I had the three amigos and a couple of mimosas. BOGO on Tuesday and Thursday! Try them out. You won't be disappointed.

    Nutella crepes
    Suha M.

    Really nice area, but pretty small and cozy space. Food was delicious and the crepes weren't eggy at all, which I loved.

    Chicken and biscuits with chicken chorizo gravy

    Service is so attentive and kind always a great experience. The food is always amazing the chicken chorizo gravy on the chicken and biscuits is always top notch, the Nashville chicken sandwich was amazing not as hot as you can imagine but has a sweetness to it very good the Mac and cheese could use a little bit more flavor but overall great. The ambiance there is relaxing and very peaceful to have a enjoyable brunch no doubt. If you haven't been here you must give them a chance you will no regret it at all.

    Athena's Mediterranean Omelet and Blueberry Waffle
    Isabella K.

    Canela Cafe is great little breakfast spot. The Blueberry Waffle was light and fluffy and packed with fresh blueberries! The orange juice (not pictured) had to be freshly squeezed -- it was just too good to come from a carton. The coffee came from Stone Creek and it was really good and Athena's Mediterranean Omelet was absolutely huge and yummy with tons of feta, according to my partner. The restaurant gives off stereotypical millennial brunch place vibes, but not egregiously so. There's plenty of seating both inside and outside, and my party of two was seated promptly around 9 a.m. on a Saturday. The service was spectacular. Jodie did a great job! If I could, I would only give Canela Cafe 4.5 stars simply because of the price. My waffle was $14 with no sides. Knock that down to $10 OR chuck in a side of fruit or bacon or something and I wouldn't be complaining. You'll get the best value if you order an omelet. It comes with fruit or breakfast potatoes AND toast or pancakes all in the ballpark of $16. Don't waste your money on an overpriced waffle, go with the omelet to get more food. In total, my party of two spent about $50 (including tip). If I'm on this side of town again, I'd definitely eat here a second time.

    Chicken & Waffles & Canela Quesadilla
    Kamryn J.

    Seated right away with no wait on a Saturday, great good, & great service! Really nothing to complain about. Pretty easy going space

    Canela Omelet

    The best brunch spot in Milwaukee!! I absolutely adore Canela café! The food is amazing, the staff is very attentive and welcoming, and the inside has a lot of seating. (It does get quite busy on the weekends, though) Highly recommend any of the omelettes, they are SO fluffy and have great flavor! I always get the canela special omelette with egg white! I also love that you can choose to get pancakes as a side, instead of toast!

    Waiting area
    Brielle B.

    Made a quick stop at Canela Cafe right before the road trip back to Chicago. This place was packed. There was a family who decided to eat outside in 45 degree weather just to skip the wait. The service was decent. Everyone was nice but it took a little while for our server to greet us and bring our drinks. I assume because they were swamped with so many tables. The food ok. My bf and I got the herbivore bowls with an addition of guacamole. While everything taste fresh, it just didn't taste seasoned. We also got a fruit bowl and I was happy with the assortment of fruits provided. The decor is nice. They had some cool LED brunch signs and a small patio right outside the window. If we were able to give half stars I would give a 3.5. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great either.

    Custom Order: Pancakes w/ Chocolate Chips and Fresh Bananas

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    5 months ago

    Good food good service!! Guillermo is the best!! Hi is professional. Atmosphere great

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    4 months ago

    Generous portions with a good variety. The Irish Coffee is perfect! Best brunch in Milwaukee.

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    2 years ago

    The vibe is as amazing as the food. Service is always friendly. And their steak burrito is bomb . I love this place.

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    Some pictures of the delicious food and the exceptional experience I had on my special day "B-day"!!

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    Ask the Community - Canela Cafe

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    Canela Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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